About a week ago we had the pleasure of attending the “coming out” party for the first Proto Home located in The Baldwin Vista section of Baldwin Hills. 
You may not have heard of Proto Homes yet, but you will. This is really the beginning of a revolution in home building. The home is AFFORDABLE (especially for brand new construction!),FLEXIBLE meaning that the home will change to fit the owners needs rather than the owner having to fit into what the home dictates and INNOVATIVE for several reasons having to do with the building process itself. We will let you know when this home is open to the public for viewing, but in the meantime here’s a brief description.
The home is built around a patent- pending core or a “brain” if you will. This core is the basis of the homes innovation and affordability. The core is manufactured off site and then dropped in and the house is built around the core. This allows the homes to be completely built in about a four month period. (Affordable!) The core houses everything that runs the house including plumbing, electrical, HVAC, wiring, etc. (Innovative!) There are no wires or plumbing or anything that runs over, under or through the house. Everything is accessible and easy to reach and easy to fix if necessary. Never again do you need to have a trade’s person searching through your crawl space, walls or attic in pursuit of a leaking pipe or faulty wire. Everything is visible and accessible.
The home can change with the owners changing needs. (Flexible!) This particular model can be a one bedroom or a four bedroom house. There are soffits built into the ceiling in the second story of the house and custom walls can be slid in and out of them to create as many rooms as desired. If a couple were to move into this house and then have a few children down the road, they would not need to change their house. They would only need to order a beautiful, custom, affordable wall that becomes closets and shelving for the room it’s creating. They are easy to install and certainly much more cost effective than moving or adding onto a house. (Affordable!)
All of this is very practical and utilitarian, but we want to be very clear, style and aesthetic beauty have not been sacrificed! The home is largely comprised 
of open and airy space with incredible natural light provided by long floor to ceiling windows that let in light and views but they are not so big that they obfuscate privacy. The finishes are all sleek and high end, with marble counters and polished concrete floors, sleek cabinet design and thoughtful use of materials throughout. One of the coolest and sleekest things is that all of the homes are networked and can be controlled from your IPhone or your tablet. Out all day on a sweltering day in early September? No problem, an hour before you return home you can log on and turn on the state of the art cooling system. On vacation and want to make sure the house looks lived in? Switch the lights and music on and off and view the home via the security cameras. It doesn’t walk your dog for you yet, but we won’t be surprised if that’s coming.
Proto Homes will be built to be sold at the median price in any given neighborhood. This is remarkable because typically new construction is sold at the highest price point in any given market. What this means is that the consumer can buy a house that works for them and flexes with their needs for the same price as a house that was built 75 – 100 years ago that requires a lot of maintenance. Stay tuned because we plan to bring you much more information about Proto Homes and how you can have one of your own.
(photos courtesy of Proto Homes)
street and yes it’s next to Paul Revere Middle School. However, you don’t see the school at all from the property and you do not hear the street from inside the house or from the backyard. The house is over 2300 square feet and the lot is over 14k. It’s not all flat, but a significant portion is and there is room to install a pool. The house is an original mid-century modern built in ’54. The floorplan is excellent. There is lots of glass in the common rooms and everything is oriented to the backyard. The kitchen is open and has an eating area. It’s a one story house that’s calling out for remodeling. It has potential to be the hippest of the hip. It’s priced at $1,299,000. It’s not so easy to sell a house on a busier street, so this house may be obtainable under list price. For anyone who appreciates mid-century and wants to create something really cool – this is a great bet.
Brentwood. You really connect with nature there and don’t feel like you’re in the city at all. But the best thing is that you really are smack in the middle of everything there. This property is on over 21k square feet of land and the house is over 3200 sq. ft with a guest house. This house is up a private driveway and not visible at all from the street. The privacy it offers is great for a celebrity or high profile person. It’s a traditional home with gracious rooms, a pool and a full guest house. The master is downstairs and there are 2 very large en-suite bedrooms upstairs. The upstairs could be re-configured to house more bedrooms. The house needs some cosmetic updating but it’s got great bones and it’s a stately, elegant solid residence. Oh yeah, the price – $3,299.000
traditional house but it has a very mid-century, open floorplan and feeling. This house was owned by an artist there is just a calm, groovy, S. California vibe about the place. The fact that it’s adorned with ‘50’s era paintings and sculptures and that whole thing flows out to the pool doesn’t hurt. It needs cosmetic updating but the structure and the floorplan are impeccable. The house is over 2800 square feet and the lot is almost 9k! This listing price is $1,149,000. I think this is definitely the buy of the week and we WOULD LOVE TO SELL THIS HOUSE TO SOMEONE WHO GETS IT. This house could be a masterpiece. Come one, come groovy and make this house what it’s dying to be. Call us about these or any other properties that peak your interest.
the house is approximately 6300 and the lot is approximately 8500. It’s lovely with high –end, high quality finishes and has a grand scale. There is a subterranean garage and the lower level of the house (the basement) is smartly used. There is a screening room, an exercise room and a wine cellar. The lot seems small, but the house is well plotted on the land so there is more yard than one might think from reading the description. It will be really interesting to see how quickly and for how much this sells. We personally feel that the price is too high. There was a house in the neighborhood on Westgate that sold in February for 4m. It was also traditional, brand new construction and beautifully done. That house was on a bigger lot and had a pool and the house itself was only slightly smaller. It was closer to Sunset so there was potentially a little noise in the backyard, although we don’t remember it being significant. It is a comp that will work against Currituck in terms of the way it is priced. At one time the brand new traditionals were flying off the shelves in Brentwood no matter what the price. We think those days have passed, but time will tell.
247 S. Carmelina in Brentwood, listed at 3.295m is such a house. This is one of the most unique and special properties that we have seen in the past nine years — in any price range. It was built in 1926 and it’s like a French Chateau. Constructed of old stone with a turret entry and leaded glass front door, you are immediately transported to another time and place. The current owners gutted the entire house when they bought it and reconfigured and rebuilt the home. Many of the materials such as flooring, tiles, doors and hardware are antiques imported from Europe. The living room contains an inglenook – a small alcove lined with bookshelves – a perfect spot to grab some solace. The house is not huge, about 3300 sq. ft., perfectly laid out and very intimate. The rooms are not there solely for the sake of having space; every inch of the home has meaning and purpose. The result is a romantic, charming, modern-castle environment that feels warm and approachable. There’s nothing stuffy about it. There is a lovely pool and a modest but beautiful grassy area in the back and then a guest house above the detached garage, fully wired with a full bath and perfect as an office or guest quarters. If you are in this price range and you have an appreciation for architecture and antiques you owe it to yourself to see this one.
ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Frankly, what is so dramatic and affecting from the moment you enter this house is the current owner’s art collection and the combination of colors and textures that give this house so much personality. Each room is interesting and beautiful in its architectural detail, but each room also has its own personality and life. The kitchen is remodeled and is lovely without being flashy. The backyard is like an outdoor living room with a fireplace and couches and there is a grassy area for play as well. There is an office adjacent to the garage and the closet in the master bedroom is fit for Carrie Bradshaw. Actually judging from the shoe collection, she might actually live there.
